Sevilla draw Barca in Copa del Rey

Luis Fabiano holds aloft the Copa del Rey [GALLO/GETTY]

Defending champion Sevilla was drawn on to play FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey’s fifth round.

Sevilla, whose triumph last season was its first in Spain’s knockout competition since 1948, will host the Catalan powerhouse in the first leg on January 9, with the teams playing the return match at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium a week later.

The victor will then face a quarterfinal against the winner of the game between Recreativo Huelva and Villarreal.

Real Madrid, which was picked to play Mallorca.

Victory would provide Madrid with a last-eight match against either last season’s finalists Getafe or Levante in the following round.

Other games are: Atletico Madrid vs. Valladolid; Zaragoza vs. Racing Santander; Athletic Bilbao vs. Espanyol; and Real Betis vs. Valencia.

Badiola wins Sociedad presidental race

Meanwhile, Inaki Badiola has become Real Sociedad’s fourth president in the past 2 1/2 years after standing unopposed in the club’s election.

Badiola, the owner of Hong Kong-based company Lighthouse Consulting, received the backing of members owning 57,004 shares, while members’ abstentions represented 22,279 shares.

The 43 year old was reported last month to be hoping to boost Sociedad’s finances by asking a group of Chinese investors to buy into the club.

Sociedad, who were relegated last season after 40 years in the top flight, is sixth in the 22-team second division after 18 round.

The team’s Welsh coach, Chris Coleman, who was appointed in July, has threatened to leave the Basque club if Badiola won control.

The new president is reportedly keen to replace Coleman with Javier Irureta, who was previously in charge of the club from 1995-97 and is one of Spain’s most experienced coaches.

Badiola has also pledged to sign Valencia striker Nikola Zigic and take Arsenal’s Fran Merida and FC Barcelona’s Marc Crosas on loan.